Hidden
by FireTaiga
Summary: Zuko has hidden his longing for so long. But can he hide forever?-Zutara
1. Preparations

"Zuko! Why aren't you ready yet! You are Fire Lord! Everyone is waiting to see you!" The relative silence was interrupted by Uncle's loud thumps on the grand doorway into Zuko's bed chamber. It wasn't the first time his Uncle had come searching for him. The Fire Lord's entrance was already delayed two hours and Uncle Iroh insisted that the guests were starting to get impatient. Even though he was Fire Lord now, Zuko still did whatever his Uncle asked of him. He owed him that much after the war.

"I'll be ready soon Uncle." It was a lie. Zuko had been ready for hours. He just didn't want to leave. It was night in the Fire Nation, the dark lit up by torches burning in the garden below. The palace was filled with the sounds of music, the murmur of happy partygoers, and the slight thumps of dancing feet.

It was the first anniversary of the end of the war. A masquerade party was being held at the Fire Nation Palace. The garden and main hall had been decorated with the symbols of the four nations. Food had been prepared by the best cooks from the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Water Tribes. Even the servants were allowed to participate in this grand occasion. One year of peace and everything was going well. All of the guests had arrived, ready to celebrate with the best Fire Lord the nation had ever known.

Except one. One guest had yet to grace the party with her entrance. It had been almost eleven months since he had last seen her. A month after the war ended she had returned home to help rebuild. He hadn't seen her since then. He had thought that everyone had been happy staying in the palace with him. They weren't supposed to leave until tonight, the first anniversary. Things didn't go as he had planned.

Zuko sat in his bed chamber, staring out the window. He could not muster up the courage to put on his mask and leave his chambers. It was much easier to look up at the moon and imagine himself in a different place and time. Laying in the grass next to her, staring up at the stars. Dueling with her until they were both hot and panting from the effort. Simple glances across the campfire, a smile dancing in her eyes. He missed her.

His costume was the same style he had worn during his fight with Azula. Sokka, Suki, Aang, and Toph had followed suit. They all looked as they had on that fateful day one year ago when they had ended it all. The only difference was the masks. His own mask covered the upper half of his face in varying shades of red and gold. The twisted fiery design countered by a small whip of water over his scar, a detail Zuko had requested the creators add to their bafflement. His shaggy hair was left unkempt and out of the traditional style. He actually felt like his old self again.

Uncle Iroh had banged on his chamber door again, insisting that the guests were waiting to see their esteemed Fire Lord out of his daily garb and acting like a real person. It was clear that Iroh was more impatient as the guests, but the Dragon of the West was not a man to trifle with. It was time to go.

Grabbing his mask, Zuko put it on, hiding behind the fire and water. A memory flashed through his mind of their last duel. Fire and water had looked like one. It had been more of a dance than a fight that time, ending with him and her inches apart, breathing heavily. Everything changed a few short hours after that duel.

Heaving a sigh, Zuko turned away from his window and his memories and left his chambers. It was time to face his guests, with or without her.


	2. Introductions

The guards outside the doors stood up straighter when their Fire Lord left, relaxing only when his tall form disappeared around the corner and to the party. Despite being dismissed for the night, the guards were ever wary. No one wanted to risk the assassination of the Fire Lord on such a night.

"Are you ready for your introduction Fire Lord Zuko?" A heavily masked and costumed servant stopped the Fire Lord at the entrance to the party.

"Can't I just go in?" Zuko asked, almost pleadingly. He had no desire to stand in front of such a large group and act like he was overjoyed to see him. It was his least favorite part of his new position; acting like everything was perfect in his mind and around him. It never was.

"Sir, it is customary for the Fire Lord to be introduced when going into a large group." The servant didn't budge, eager to do his small part to make this party go off without a hitch. Zuko understood his fervor but couldn't help but let the anger flash in his eyes.

"Fine." The servant nodded and stepped quickly through the curtain and into the room beyond. Zuko could hear him addressing the partygoers.

"Everyone please rise to greet the Fire Lord! Fire Lord Zuko, champion over Azula, nephew of Iroh, friend to the Avatar, and leader of our great Fire Nation!" Cheers and applause followed the introduction. Traditionally, the Fire Lord was introduced with the name of his parents and siblings, but Zuko was a special circumstance. Azula and her father were only talked about in passing or when discussing their defeat. No one wanted to remember the less desirable parts of history.

"You may enter now sir." The servant held the curtain aside, allowing Zuko to pass. The servant was obviously pleased with himself and wanted to start his own celebration, his job complete.

"Thank you." Zuko smiled weakly and walked through the archway into the main hall. His appearance was marked by more applause, and a few more cheers. Zuko plastered a smile on his face, pretending to adore the applause as he acknowledged everyone in the room.

"Zuko! It is about time you got here! Come and have some tea with your old friends." Uncle Iroh quickly grabbed Zuko's arm before he could escape, pulling him to a table where Aang, Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Katara were already seated.

"Zuko! Good to see you buddy!" Sokka rose from his seat and patted Zuko hard on the back causing him to choek on his tea. Instead of a mask, Sokka was wearing the warrior face paint of his tribe. "You remember my fiancée, Suki?"

"Of course he remembers me Sokka! We all lived together!" Suki shoved Sokka playfully, smiling at him. "It's good to see you again Zuko." Suki bowed to Zuko, who returned the respect. Her mask was also makeup, the traditional face paint of a Kyoshi warrior. She positively flowed next to Sokka, the two obviously in love.

"Don't forget about me!" Toph stood, demanding a hello. Her mask was a simple dark green piece of fabric tied across her eyes. The letters BB were embroidered on it in gold thread. There were no eyeholes. "How's it going Fire Lord?" She asked with a smirk.

"Hello Toph." Zuko smiled at the master earthbender, amused at her choice of mask. He had heard the stories about her times as the Blind Bandit and wasn't surprised she was so proud of her deception.

"Zuko. It's good to see you again!" Aang leapt up from his seat, walking around the table to hug the bewildered Fire Lord. The Avatar wore no mask, the accessory was not required when there was an arrow tattooed on your forehead. Aang may have looked a year older but he still had the joy in his eyes of a twelve year old.

"And you Aang." Zuko awkwardly returned the hug, glancing at the last member of the party. "Katara. It's been a long time." Zuko's voice dropped in volume, his gaze straight at Katara. Her blue eyes stared straight back.

"Yes. It has." Katara didn't stand. She toyed with the edge of her mask, a half face number like Zuko's, painted in different shades of blue. A silver moon circled one eye, orange flames engulfed the other. She seemed as surprised to see water on Zuko's mask as we was to see fire on hers.

"Now that all the formalities are out of the way, let's have some tea!" Oblivious to the new tension at the table, Iroh grabbed Zuko's arm and tanked him down onto a seat. He poured some tea for everyone and immediately struck up a conversation.

While the others laughed and joked, Zuko looked at Katara. She too was not participating in the banter. Every once in awhile she would glance up at Zuko, a puzzling expression on the visible parts of her face. He knew he should look away from her but didn't want to miss a second. He only had her for so long.

"Uncle, I am going into the garden. I…" Zuko trailed off, Iroh not noticing he had even spoke. Standing, Zuko kept his eyes to the floor and quickly exited the hall into the deserted garden.

Small fires lit up the pathway, convening at a large fountain. Zuko extinguished the flames with one sweep of his arm, wanting to be alone in the dark for awhile.

He hadn't seen Katara in months. How was he to know that it would be so hard for him? Everything about her, from her choice of mask to her misdirected gaze confused him. How did they both choose to associate their masks with one another? His covered with her water, hers with his fire.

But then again, Katara had always confused him. She always would.

When Mai had left, Zuko had assumed he was alone and would be for a long time. But every memory from then was filled with Katara. Her laugh, her eyes, her smile. She had made herself a presence in his life after Mai had left.

But then she had just left. No explanation. He awoke one morning and she was gone. He hadn't seen her since. Sokka gave him a weak story about rebuilding. The warrior never had been a good liar.

Sitting on the ground at the fountain's wall, Zuko leaned his head back and sighed. This party was not going well, and he had only been in attendance for five minutes.

Angry with himself, Zuko let out a growl and shot a bout of flame from his fist, punching the ground next to him.

"Careful Zuko. You might hurt someone."


	3. No More Hiding

"Katara?" Zuko knew that voice. He had heard it every night in his dreams. He only hoped that this wasn't a dream too.

"Over here Zuko." Katara emerged from a small stand of trees, blue eyes shining sadly in the moonlight. She looked so beautiful.

"Katara. Why are you out here?" Zuko asked. "The party, Aang, it's all inside." Zuko waved his hand in the direction of the palace.

"You don't get it Zuko. I'm not here for the party. Or Aang." The Fire Lord watched as Katara walked closer to him. "I'm here for you."

"No Katara. You're lying." Zuko turned away from her, hiding his face, hiding the tears building up behind his eyes. "If you are here for me, then why leave in the first place? Why? I needed you Katara and you disappeared." Zuko turned angrily back towards Katara, the anger in his eyes meeting the sadness and guilt in hers.

"I had to leave Zuko. I didn't have another choice." Zuko could see tears disappearing behind Katara's mask.

"But why?" The words were almost lost in the night, Zuko had whispered them so quietly.

"Because I…" Katara stopped herself, biting her lip.

"Why Katara!" Zuko, shouted. He grabbed Katara's arm and pulled her into the trees. His hands moved to her upper arms, pinning her against the trunk of one of the larger trees.

"Because I was falling in love with you!" Katara gasped when the words escaped her mouth, as though she wanted to take them back. She had never meant to say them. She had meant to lie.

Zuko's hands dropped from her arms. He wanted to believe her so badly but knew that it shouldn't be that way.

"Please Zuko. I didn't want to love you. We aren't supposed to be in love. I thought I was supposed to be with Aang."

"You are with Aang." Zuko's voice was dead in the night. He had seen them sitting in the garden when she was here, alone. They were always so close, always joking around.

"No Zuko. No I'm not. I was never with Aang." Katara closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if it would make him believe her.

"I saw you. On the balcony of my Uncle's tea shop. You were kissing." Zuko had turned away from Katara. He had ripped a handful of leaves from a nearby branch and was slowly burning them in his closed fist. That kiss was one of his most painful memories.

"I told him to stop Zuko. I tried to tell you." He could hear the tears in her voice. "But you wouldn't listen. Whenever I brought it up you left the room. I tried so hard." A sob tore from Katara's throat.

Zuko went back to her, pinning her again against the tree. The waterbender averted her gaze, keeping her eyes tightly shut.

"Katara look at me. Look at me!" Zuko put a hand on Katara's chin and forced her eyes up to his. "I always loved you."

With that, Zuko pulled Katara into him and wrapped his arm around her waist. Their lips met in a burst of passion. Katara had never been kissed like this before. Aang was so tentative, and even the stolen kisses with Jet had never been like this. She could feel the heat emanating from Zuko and met it with her own fire. This was what she had always wanted, what was always supposed to happen. She finally understood.

Pulling away, Zuko looked into Katara's eyes. "Katara, I love you. I dream about you every night when I actually manage to sleep. Ask Uncle. I spend most of my time walking around in his garden, staring at that fountain, at the water, thinking of you. I put your water over my scar because my scar is my past, and I want you to be my future. Katara please stay here with me. I can't bear to lose you again. Please."

Katara looked up at Zuko's pleading gaze. She did love him. And she knew in that moment that she would stay. She pulled off her mask, dropping it to the ground. She no longer needed to hide behind it. She didn't need a mask to express her longing. Zuko was hers. He always had been.

And now she knew that he always would be.


End file.
